by Jeff Hale
“Great. Thanks, Theros, you’ve been a big help,” I said. He shook my hand and went back inside. I sighed and wondered how I should go about confirming whether or not Baba Yaga was actually in the city. I didn’t think Kris would be one to lead me astray on this, so right now I was taking it seriously. I went home for the evening and pondered what I was going to do.
Over the next couple of days, I skipped school, but watched the area around campus for any suspicious activity or to see if I could see the old woman Kris had talked about. On Wednesday afternoon, after my hunt had proved fruitless, I headed to the Mall. I didn’t know why I was going to the Mall, except maybe to kill some time. Maybe pick up some new clothes for the party this weekend. Once I arrived and wandered around a bit, I saw Celeste in a store that sold pretty much young female’s clothing and such.
I watched her discreetly, but decided to eschew the visual camo this time around, knowing I could easily explain my presence in a mall. She was wearing a low-cut tank top and a pair of tight denim jeans. I admired several times how well those jeans fit on her as I followed her around. I could have just approached her and talked with her, but I wanted to watch her since she was on her own so I could see her personal habits when she wasn’t at school or around her yuppie douche friends.
At one point she went into the Waldenbooks. I followed her in and hung out near the magazines, casually flipping through a copy of a new publication called Aetheric Today. I found a somewhat interesting interview with the king of the D.C. fae.
“He has a lot of good ideas, that one does,” I heard a rough, almost gravelly voice from off to one side of me. He spoke with a German accent.
I glanced to my right and saw a man about my height but much bulkier. His arms were about as big around as my waist, and looked to be made of stone. He had short, dark brown stubble on his head, and on his face. He had several tattoos, primarily swastikas, iron crosses and the Grim Reaper on his arms, and one that symbolized the SS on the side of his neck. He wore a ripped black tank top, torn black denim jeans, and a worn cutoff leather jacket with spikes and chains all over it. His steel toed boots had spikes along the edges of the soles. He wore a spiked collar and matching wrist guards.
“Uh, yeah I guess,” I replied, trying to ignore him.
“Hmmph. You’re not even reading that article. You’re too busy watching that girl,” he said in a low voice.
I looked up at him, completely startled. “Observant for an ogre,” I said, recognizing his fae type.
“I’m part gnome as well,” he said, motioning to his arms. That would explain the earthen cast to them.
“What do you want?” I knew that a fae wouldn’t just approach me without an agenda. Most of them knew who I was. After all, I was a bit unique in the Aetheric world.
“Lucien passes his regards and says that Lochlan will bother you no longer as long as you leave his daughter alone and do not meddle in the affairs of the shifters here in the city. He wants to be sure that you agree to these concessions.”
“I promise nothing. Tell Lucien I have no control over Kat or the Vegas pack. If Kat comes looking for me, I’ll be here for her, and if the Vegas pack attacks me or anyone close to me, I will eradicate them. Now what about seeing me?” I asked.
“He won’t see you just yet…” the ogre started to say before I grabbed his jacket and got into his face.
“The fucking Iron Hag is possibly in the city right now and he won’t see me?!” I demanded angrily.
He calmly removed himself from my grip and straightened his jacket. “He is aware of your news. He will speak to you when he thinks you are ready to deal with the situation and not a moment sooner,” he said pointedly.
Don’t they understand? I know that Lucien has to know just how dangerous Baba Yaga can be, even to him. Why am I being blown off about this?!
“Aerick? Is that you?” a familiar feminine voice asked from behind me.
“Oh, uh, hi, Celeste, how long have you…?” I started to ask.
“Long enough,” the ogre said.
“Is this a bad time, Aerick?” she asked, looking at the ogre with a bit of trepidation.
“No. Not at all. I was just having a slight… disagreement with my friend here.” I turned to look at the ogre. “Tell Lucien what I said, and tell him to deliver his messages himself next time. By phone if necessary.”
“You know he dislikes technology. That’s what he has gremlin employees for. He is far too old to keep up with such fleeting trends, but very well. It has been an honor, Aerick Kerensky.” He bowed and walked off.
“What was that all about?” Celeste asked, her eyes following the ogre as he disappeared into the crowd of shoppers.
I motioned for her to follow me and we began to walk out of the store. Now that she was next to me, I could appreciate the tank top and how snugly it fit her chest. I could also appreciate my heart in my throat and the sweat I had broken. I could smell that faint scent of lilacs coming from her, and I noticed that she had her hair pulled back with a couple of hairclips on either side of her head. The hairclips had unicorns on them, and I recognized them because I had given them to her on her birthday one year. It was just like we were back in the classroom again, like we had been all last week.
“Nothing. Just a business associate trying to contact me,” I said, creating an immediate cover story, something I hadn’t had to do since the Barrier fell.
“What kind of business do ya run?”
“Er um… an agency.”
“Oh, security fer famous people?”
“I guess you could say that. How did you know?” I said, stopping near the middle of the Mall.
Celeste moved to stand in front of me. “I saw ya backstage at the Vixens concert, and when I asked why ya were in the corner they explained that you were workin’ security. So why haven’t ya been in school?” she asked.
“Work. Sorry, I may not be able to finish the classes, but if you need help…” I offered.
“How can ya help me if ya ain’t in the class?” she asked incredulously.
“I know the material pretty well. That’s why I took the class. Easy A for me,” I explained.
“How can ya know that kind of stuff unless…? Sre you an Aetheric?” she asked.
Shit.
How was I going to answer her question? I didn’t want to lie to her, but I didn’t want her to know. Not yet. For some reason I still wanted her to think of me as normal.
“I have some close friends that are, and of course you know that I dated Kat. So you could say that I’ve had a lot of exposure,” I said, breathing an inward sigh of relief. Not a lie, but not the whole truth.
“Well, I guess that explains it. So why is it that I’m bumping inta ya everywhere I go? Why does it feel like you’re watchin’ me constantly? Why is it that after I saw ya at the Sonic that ya all of a sudden ended up in mah classes?” she asked suspiciously.
“Could I ever convince you that’s it’s been completely coincidence?” I asked, hoping she would buy it.
“Maybe I can buy that,” she said skeptically. “So, even if ya ain’t going ta finish those classes, are ya goin’ ta be at the party this weekend?”
“Uh, yeah,” I said, suddenly feeling something off in the area.
“Ya sure? Ya don’t seem committed ta that answer,” she said, her voice sounding genuinely concerned. Like it would be a big deal if I missed the party.
“Oh, yeah. Definitely. I’ll be there, don’t worry. Uh except… mind if I bring a friend?”
“Sure. Who is it?”
“Just my best friend. He’s harmless. He’s just been through a lot and needs a night out,” I said, still looking around. Hell, if I could go into work mode, I might actually be able to talk to her. Would miracles never cease?
“Oh really? He cute?”
“I don’t know, why? It’s the other guy that was in the car with me the night we met,” I explained, looking past Celeste to the crowd beyond. Searching, trying t
o figure out what was off.
“Oh yeah, him! That’ll be great! Wait. Is he single?”
“Yeah.”
“I have some single friends from mah sorority that will be wantin’ ta meet him probably. One jus’ broke it off with her boyfriend and she really needs someone better fer her,” Celeste said, trying to get my attention.
“Yeah. Gotta go,” I said, finally pin-pointing the source of my discomfort. I pushed past her in a quick sprint, moving with purpose towards my intended target. Malachai. I heard her protest as I moved past her, and I immediately regretted my need for alacrity in getting away from her.
I rushed up to Malachai, who was pulling what I was earlier, pretending to read a paper while watching me. I leaned on the wall next to him. He was wearing a tight fitting t-shirt under his trenchcoat, loose black denim jeans, and his trademark black fedora.
“What seems to be the problem?” he said, a smug look on his face.
“You know damn well what my problem is. How are you alive?” I said through clenched teeth, suddenly aware that we had an audience, one that potentially included Celeste, since I was sure she had watched me run off.
“I heal fast,” he said with that same smug look on his face.
“How do I kill you, then?”
“I don’t know. How does one kill you?”
“I… I don’t know.”
“Well. There you have it. So, who is that little cutie you were talking with just now?”
“I don’t know who you’re talking about,” I lied, thinking to protect Celeste from him.
“Oh. Her. The little blonde back there watching us right now,” he said pointing right at her. I looked over my shoulder and saw her standing there watching us.
“I know what you’re trying to do, and I’m not going to fight you here,” I said in a low voice.
“Awww, no fighting?” he asked, pouting.
“Not here. No,” I stated again.
“And if I wanted to introduce myself to the girl?” he asked, leering over at her. She gave me a confused look that quickly turned to a glare before she stormed off towards the exit. Fucking great. She probably thought I was friends with Malachai and had said something inappropriate about her to him.
“You stay away from her,” I warned through gritted teeth.
“And if I don’t?” he taunted, starting to take a couple of steps after her.
“You’ll regret it, I promise,” I threatened.
“I doubt that. She looks so… innocent. Oh she’d be fun to break, and by break I mean between the sheets,” he said as he shoved past me and started to walk in the direction she had gone.
“No!” I said, grabbing his shoulder and pulling him back towards me.
He used the momentum of the grab to swing around and launch a quick succession of punches in my direction. I managed to dodge and block a few of them, but a couple connected with my ribs and one to my jaw. I stumbled back and I heard the cries of people as they gathered to watch the fight.
I saw the Mall security approaching. I kept on the defensive, expecting his attacks this time. He launched a side roundhouse kick towards my left temple, which I ducked, and as I did so, I spun and leg swept him. He went down, but immediately kipped up. As he came up I punched him twice in the face with a couple of right jabs, one catching him in the cheek, the other in the eye. He stumbled back, and a Mall security officer caught him, and I felt another behind me trying to put me in a full nelson.
I pulled away long enough to put my forehead into the bridge of Malachai’s nose. I felt and heard a satisfying crack as his nose crumpled under the impact. I smiled in victory, knowing that once again I had gained the upper hand. Until I heard Malachai laugh.
I looked and saw him push the officer away. His hands lit up as arcs of lightning played between them. “This is usually the part where you start screaming,” he said as he launched the electricity at the man. The man jerked and convulsed as the lightning played across his body. People screamed and ran. At least I had the knowledge that Celeste was already gone, safe.
“Malachai!” I yelled. He turned with a sick smile on his face. I lowered my head a bit, and growled, “Your fight is with me!” I conjured my blades, pulling from the Aether to augment my strength and speed, then settling into my fighting stance. The fire blade was in a reverse grip along my right arm, behind me, and my ice blade was held before me in my left hand creating a defensive line.
“Oh, good. And here I was afraid you wouldn’t fight.”
He conjured his blades and rushed me with a quick horizontal double slash. I easily dropped the ice blade in a parry, and deflected both blades away. I brought my right arm across and whipped the fire blade at his side, scoring a deep laceration across his ribs. I heard him scream as he went past.
He turned full circle and faced me again. I settled back into my stance, confident that any attack he launched I could block and counter. He rushed me again, bringing his right blade, the diamond one, in another horizontal slash, this one designed to decapitate me where I stood. I saw the secondary attack coming behind that, a quick jab with the lightning blade to my stomach.
I deflected the slash, and sidestepped the stab in such a way that I brought my fire blade across his back as he went past. The hit was light, but I felt the blade score across his spine. He turned quickly and brought both blades in a horizontal slash again. This time I was over balanced and still going with my turn from the slash I had just delivered. Both blades caught me in the sternum. I felt the diamond cut through and crack the sternum, and the lightning played through my chest cavity, causing my heart to beat sporadically.
I stumbled back, and he pressed the attack, bringing his lightning blade in towards my neck. I felt the electricity plunge into my throat, and then felt diamond cut into the back of my knees. I dropped to my knees and howled in pain. But he was exposed, and I took the opportunity presented to me.
“You. Have. Got. To. Stop. Leaving. Your. Chest. Open.” I grunted each word, barely able to talk, as I plunged both my blades into his chest. He fell back and I didn’t have the strength to hold onto the blades, which was a shame as I could have drained his life force and used it to heal my rather severe wounds.
I lay back then, and tried to concentrate the Aether on healing my wounds. I knew he’d be doing the same. I would have bothered with raising a shield, except I knew it wouldn’t work against Aether Blades, only against elemental blasts.
That’s when all hell broke loose. I heard the shattering of glass, and looked up to see the skylight that was in the center of the Mall crashing in on me as well as several spec ops troopers lowering in on ropes that were attached to several VTOL jets that were hovering in the sky above the Mall.
The men quickly tied my hands behind my back with zipties and did the same to Malachai. They held us still and seemed to be waiting for something. There were probably thirty or so of them. I didn’t have the energy right at the moment to fight them off, and I noticed that Malachai was about in the same shape I was in. But my wounds were closing, and I suspected his were as well.
I took this time to glance around and noticed that most of the crowd in the Mall had dispersed, but that a few had hung around to watch the spectacle from the safety of various stores or behind kiosks. A few minutes passed and a covered platform lowered from one of the jets and landed in front of us about ten feet away. The person who stepped out of that platform was the last person I expected to see.
His light-brown hair was cropped military style, and his face had a scar that ran from his forehead under his sunglasses on the right side and down to his cheek, but it was still Terrance Cross. He was wearing a tight military jacket and black military utility pants and sunglasses. There was a Movement for Purity patch on his jacket. Perfect. He walked right up to me and pulled his sunglasses off. He just glared for a few seconds before spitting in my face.
“That all you have to say to an old classmate?” I asked sarcastically.
�
�That’s all I have to say to an Unpure,” he sneered.
“I remember this Unpure giving you a thrashing you’d never experienced before,” I said with a smug smile. He punched me. Hard. “Ow! That hurt. What? Not proud that I dropped your ass and…” Another punch, this one even harder, and harder than he should have been capable of. That’s when I realized I had felt metal in that hand. I enhanced my vision using a minute amount of redirected Aetheric energy. Sure enough, his hand was actually bionic. As was the entirety of his left leg. Probably iron, given Purity’s MO.
“My research team will be pleased. After unearthing some of Merlin’s journals they were hoping to find and capture a Sentinel, but my, my… two? This has been a good day,” he said as he walked to stand in front of Malachai.
“Well. Your day is only going to get worse,” Malachai said, grinning that Cheshire cat grin of his the entire time.
“I don’t see how. You have no energy with which to resist. I saw the extent of your injuries, there is no way you have the strength to fight back now,” Terrance retorted. He walked back over to stand in front of me.
“I’m going to enjoy crushing you, Aerick. I really am. I am going to enjoy making you beg me to kill you every day. It’ll be all you deserve and more.”
“Why? What did I ever do to you? You’re the one who decided that me and my friends weren’t good enough to breathe the same air as you! You bullied us then and you think you’re going to bully me now?! Now, when I can incinerate you with just a fucking thought! Yeah, fuck you!”
“You are Unpure! A monster! You are lesser than me! You… you are a curiosity and nothing more. A toy for my tortures and a subject to be ridiculed and studied before being put out of your misery. You are a creature of the hells. We will study you, I will have my revenge played out on you, and you will be destroyed while we make compliant clones to be the ultimate soldier against your kind.” He walked back to the platform and motioned to the nearest soldier. “Take them. And keep them subdued. You all have iron bullets, use them if they so much as twitch the wrong way.”
